VA: Chaos Restored with Justin Martin
Buzzin' Fly

High-energy and anything but minimal, Chaos Restored with Justin Martin offers the next chapter in Ben Watt's Buzzin' Fly evolution. Martin, co-founder (along with Claude VonStroke) of the dirtybird imprint, brings a deliciously robust tech-funk vibe to the project which includes tracks by San Francisco cohorts Tanner Ross and brother Christian Martin plus European producers Robag Wruhme and Poker Flat's Martin Landsky, among others. Recorded in San Francisco in July 2007, Martin's debut mix compilation includes two of the hometown DJ's own stellar cuts, the ultra-smooth, Latin-techno hell-raiser “Nightowl” and “Ghetto Train” whose sampled train whistles jibe perfectly with the tune's relentlessly steaming barrel-house groove, while his playful side comes to the fore in his woozy ‘Stoopit Crunk-Ill Hyphy' mix of Worthy's “Crack-El” (as does brother Christian's blustery, set-ending “Elephant Fight”).

Once its laughably over-the-top introduction (“And now, one man, one desire, one solution, one power / Justin Martin is here for you, ladies”) is out of the way, the mix sets out on its fabulous funky way with the tight house swing of Dan Drastic's “Somebody's Touching Me” and never looks back. Jamie ‘Jimpster' Odell illuminates Motorcitysoul's “Aura” with an infectious swing that's entrancing, before ceding the spotlight to an enticing soul-house Sebo K remix of Landsky's “Let Me Dance,” Catz ‘n Dogz's psychotropic wind-up “Fixation,” and Wruhme and Rolf Oksen's bass-heavy sputterer “Dopamin.” Though positioned deep in the mix, storming latecomer “Tricky Disco” makes a strong impression too. Anyone searching for weak moments should start looking elsewhere ‘cos they most definitely won't find any here.

November 2007